Parties and nuts?

[neolara]

Tomorrow we (me, dh, 3dcs) are off to an adult friend's birthday party. I spoke to the host today who mentioned in passing that nuts have been bought for the party. My dd2 who is 2 years old is severely allergic to peanuts and I imagine there is a good chance that the nuts that have been bought are peanuts. The party is going to be huge (100 + people) so obviously I didn't feel I could make demands on the hosts to change their catering arrangements. How risky do you think this situation is? As well as reacting with facial swelling to eating a speck of peanut butter, my dd2 has also reacted with rash and facial swelling to chocolate bars that are labelled as containing "traces of nuts". She has not yet had a full blown reaction.

Does the host know your DD is allergic? Is that why she mentioned it? Seems strange to me to deliberatly have nuts at a party when you know someone is allergic.

I have no idea about going or not. Do you have epi-pens? My concern would be with that many people there will be nut traces everywhere - but also agree with those that say the world is not allergen free. I tend to be extra vigilant with DS but he doesn't have a nut allergy. His anaphylaxis is random!

In the past, I've told the host that my dd2 is allergic to nuts, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's forgotten. She's got a lot to organize! The nuts comment came up very much in passing and I'm pretty sure, wasn't a subtle way of telling me there'd be nuts. I guess I'm worried about the tiny bits of nut going everywhere. Maybe we'll just have to go along and see and then take a view.

It sounds stressful to me - good luck with it!

I think in your position I would still go, but be very, very careful about what your DD touches. Take food for her, as you will not be able to guarantee that even 'safe' food in a buffet has not been handled by somebody who has nut oil left on their fingers (my DS once had a nasty vomiting and minor swelling reaction to eating a piece of contaminated cucumber from a buffet).

As I'm sure you will be super-vigilant about what your DD puts in her mouth, I suppose the main worry is contact reactions from traces of peanuts on the fingers of people who may want to touch her, and on surfaces that other people have touched. I am guessing that any reaction your DD has to traces on surfaces would be a 'skin' reaction and could be 'contained' wth Piriton - is that right? (If not, don't go!)

Don't be afraid to wipe the fingers and mouths of any children who want to play with your DD or share toys with her. Have a bag of wipes with you at all times and clean anything that might be risky - you will probably look like a paranoid, over-protective mother but that just goes with the territory!

Hope you are able to go and that you manage to have a lovely time.